Hiroyuki Takaya got his revenge, not to mention the DREAM featherweight title.

Some 15 months after Takaya was edged out by
Bibiano Fernandes in split-decision fashion for DREAM’s inaugural featherweight belt, “The Streetfight Bancho” took his own decision, this time in unanimous fashion, to wrestle the belt off Fernandes’ waist.

The bout served as the featured fight of DREAM’s massive year-end “Dynamite!! 2010″ event, which took place today at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and aired in the U.S. on HDNet.

Save for a few early moments, the 10-minute opening round took place exclusively on the feet. While moderate in pace throughout, the round saw Takya remaining more active in his movement and constantly landing the cleaner blows. Fernandes landed a stiff uppercut in the closing seconds, but it was Takaya’s ring generalship that appeared to earn him the round.

The second round remained tight, though it played out in similar fashion. Takaya remained just out of range for most of the frame. Using his rangy punches and snapping leg kicks, the challenger appeared to do just enough on the feet to win the round. Add in a defended takedown along the way, and Takaya looked in good shape.

In the final frame, Fernandes likely realized the severity of the situation as he pressed forward quickly from the opening bell. An initial takedown saw Takaya earn a reprieve after falling through the ropes, and the challenger scrambled back to his feet and forced Fernandes to jump guard after a second attempt.

The gamble did not pay off. Takaya looked comfortable pounding away from Fernandes’ guard, and after some brief confusion on a positional reset, the challenger poured on the ground-and-pound assault in the closing minute. When the final bell sounded, there was little doubt who would walk away with the title, and Takaya correctly was awarded a unanimous decision.

With the upset win, Takaya (15-8-1) claims the featherweight title and now has won three consecutive fights. Fernandes (8-3) sees a seven-fight win streak snapped, though the Brazilian may look for a rubber match in the near future.

Kawajiri cruises to win; High holds off Sakurai at bell

Japanese lightweight Tatsuya Kawajiri has said he wants to travel to the U.S. and restore the pride of Japanese MMA.

Phase one complete.

While certainly known for his explosive striking ability, “Crusher” absolutely manhandled American kickboxing Academy product
Josh Thomson on the floor for 15 minutes.

The pattern started in the opening round. After trading kicks on the feet, Kawajiri tossed Thomson to the mat and maintained top position for the rest of the round. Thomson scrambled and writhed underneath, but the crossed legs of Kawajiri kept him pinned to the floor.

Things only got worse in the second as Kawajiri enjoyed moments in mount and nearly locked in an arm-triangle choke. Thomson resisted and scrambled up while eventually taking Kawajiri’s back. But it was late in the round before “The Punk” could secure the position, and he had no time to capitalize.

Thomson saved some energy for the final round and landed a final knee, but Kawajiri was relentless. Earning yet another takedown, Kawajiri smothered Thomson on the floor and looked again for the arm-triangle choke. It wasn’t there, but the unanimous decision obviously was, and it correctly was awarded by all three judges.

Kawajiri (27-6-2) improves to 5-1 in his past six fights and appears primed for a Strikeforce appearance in the new year. Meanwhile, Thomson (18-4) sees a two-fight win streak snapped.

For Japanese legend
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, it was simply a matter of too little, too late.

American opponent
Jason High won the battle of position for 14-plus minutes and appeared well on his way to a standard-fare unanimous-decision win. Then Sakurai made his claim for the win in the final seconds with a leaping left hand and a powerful knee that left High scrambling on the floor.

Unfortunately for Sakurai, High held on until the final bell, and he was awarded the split-decision victory.

Sakurai looked strong early on with a first-round takedown that saw him claim side control. High regained half-guard and defended from underneath, though he actually received a yellow card for stalling. On the restart, High reversed a takedown attempt and briefly took top position.

The second round played out in similar fashion with High settling for a guillotine choke on a Sakurai takedown attempt. Sakurai easily popped out of the hold, but High again swept to the top.

With the fight very much up for grabs in the final frame, Sakurai landed a jumping knee to open and eventually would work to mount when the fight hit the canvas. But High scrambled free and reversed the position, where he would stay until Sakurai received his own yellow card, which led to the final sequence.

With the razor-thin victory, High (12-3) has won three-straight fights since his one-and-done stint in the UFC. Meanwhile, Sakurai (35-12-2), who opened his career in 1996 with an astonishing 20-fight unbeaten streak, now has lost four consecutive fights.

Yamato-Nishiura draw under K-1 rules; Zaromskis and Ishii victorious

In the evening’s second K-1 rules fight, Tetsuya Yamato and Akiyo “Wicky” Nishiura fought toe-to-toe for three rounds while displaying a drastic contrast in styles.

A traditional Muay Thai fighter, Yamato worked kicks to the body for the opening two rounds while the wild Nishiura moved forward with his hands down while attacking the head with punches from odd angles. The final round turned into a crowd-pleasing brawl, but it remained as difficult to score as the first two frames.

In the end, Yamato claimed the third round on one card, but the remaining two judges saw all three rounds even, which resulted in a majority draw.

The will may still be there for MMA legend
Kazushi Sakuraba, but his body continues to fail him.

Facing Lithuanian striker and DREAM welterweight champion
Marius Zaromskis, Sakuraba entered the ring with his legs wrapped from mid-thigh to the bottom of his calf, and there were additional bandages over the base of his neck. He would leave with even more.

With the champion looking the quicker and more accurate fighter from the onset, an early Zaromskis hook blasted Sakuraba and burst open his cauliflower right ear. There was a brief timeout while the wound was cleaned, but it would only get worse on the restart.

As blood continued to stream from the ear, Sakuraba shot in for his primary weapon, a single-leg takedown. But as Zaromskis defended, his hand grazed the ear, which immediately tore partially away from the side of Sakuraba’s head. He cupped it immediately as he returned to his corner, and the fight quickly was waved off.

Doctors worked quickly to bandage the head of the 41-year-old “Gracie Hunter,” who apologized to the crowd and hinted at no plans for retirement before leaving the ring.

With the TKO stoppage, Zaromskis (14-5) wins for the first time in four 2010 outings while Sakuraba (26-15-1) now has dropped three straight fights and certainly will face calls for his retirement, which should come with no shame to the MMA pioneer.

Olympic gold medalist
Satoshi Ishii continues to win fights, but he doesn’t appear to be winning any fans in the process. Facing K-1 legend Jerome Le Banner, Ishii claimed a unanimous-decision win from the three ringside judges but nothing but boos from the Saitama Super Arena crowd.

Ishii fought well in the opening round as he earned a quick takedown and moved to side control, though Le Banner was able to work back to his feet and land a few crisp knees and short strikes in the clinch. Ishii did his best to keep the fight in a grappling range, and Le Banner had little room to work, though he did reverse a takedown and score some damage from the top position.

In the second, Ishii turned to an outside trip to work his striking-focused opponent to the floor. He made the mistake of rolling for a leg, which allowed Le Banner to return to his feet. Ishii again put the fight on the mat immediately, though Le Banner again escaped a leg lock and took the top while delivering a few strikes in the closing seconds.

In the final frame, Le Banner obviously was fatigued, and Ishii took full advantage of his foe’s condition to work another trip and set up in top position. Once there, Ishii tried desperately for a kimura that wouldn’t come. Three times Ishii looked for the hold, but Le Banner powered out on each occasion.

Ishii eventually adjusted his strategy and took his opponent’s back, but he still couldn’t get the finish before the final bell. It seemed a clear-cut (though unspectacular) win for Ishii, and the judges agreed. But the crowd apparently did not as expressed by their negative reaction.

Nevertheless, Ishii (4-1) now is riding a four-fight win streak. Meanwhile, the 38-year-old Le Banner (3-2) loses for the first time in his past four MMA outings.

UFC veteran Todd Duffee took his DREAM interim heavyweight championship fight with Alistair Overeem on short notice, but he was sent home with even less warning.

Duffee charged across the ring at the opening bell, but Overeem stood firm in the face of the charge and set up his striking attack. After a few missed punches from Duffee, Overeem delivered a stunning right hand to the temple and a knockout left hook to the chin that saw his opponent fall through the ropes on the way to the canvas.

The whole process took just 14 seconds.

With the win, Overeem (34-11) wraps up a stellar 2010 in which he defended the Strikeforce heavyweight title, claimed the K-1 World Grand Prix title and now the DREAM interim heavyweight championship. Meanwhile, Duffee (6-2), while certainly to be commended for taking on such a tall order, is now winless in his past two outings.

In a unique mixed-rules match, DREAM lightweight champion
Shinya Aoki made a mockery of K-1 kickboxing regulations for the three-minute opening round.

Then K-1 World Max tournament winner
Yuichiro Nagashima made a mockery of Aoki under MMA rules.

In the opening kickboxing-only round, Aoki grabbed several illegal clinches, fired off several pro-wrestling style drop kicks – including one aided by the ropes – and launched into a rolling heel kick. All of it, as well as a few illegal two-handed Thai clinches, was designed to waste time, and while it earned a few warnings from the referee, it did exactly that. A frustrated Nagashima was forced to settle for a second round that would be contested under Aoki’s preferred MMA rules.

It didn’t matter.

Aoki telegraphed an early takedown from distance, and Nagashima launched into a perfectly timed flying knee that sent Aoki sprawling to the canvas. A few hammerfists followed before the stoppage could be made, but the knee was the crushing blow.

The mixed-rules bout doesn’t register on Aoki’s official record, but the devastating knockout surely is another setback for “Tobikan Judan,” who had mixed results in 2010. Meanwhile, Nagashima can take pride in defending the reputation of K-1 fighters across the globe.

While the bout was closely contested in the opening frame, Mousasi unleashed a devastating right hook in the second that sent Kyotaro crashing to the canvas. The Japanese striker remained on wobbly legs for the remainder of the frame, but he was able to withstand the Mousasi onslaught and avoid a TKO finish.

The pace of both fighters slowed in the final frame, and Kyotaro recovered remarkably well, but the damage done in the second round left little question as to the victor.

With the decision win, Mousasi improves to 5-0 as a kickboxer (while his 30-3-1 MMA record impresses, as well). Meanwhile, Kyotaro loses his second fight in three weeks after dropping a decision to the massive Semmy Schilt at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final earlier this month.

Flat-footed as he may be, Russian slugger
Sergei Kharitonov still packs knockout power, and he flexed it early in the first round.

After absorbing a straight left and right hook from Muzuno, Kharitonov tagged his opponent with a straight right. With the Japanese fighter staggered against the ropes, Kharitonov delivered a massive knee to the face that sent Mizuno crashing to the canvas. Kharitonov scored two more punches on the floor, but they were hardly necessary.

The end came just 85 seconds into the opening round.

Kharitonov (17-4) picks up a win in his first MMA contest since April 2009 and is now 4-1 in his past five outings. Mizuno (8-7) now has lost two straight fights.

Japanese hero
Ikuhisa “Minowaman” Minowa certainly is no stranger to facing bigger opponents, but the grinding technique and 30-pound weight advantage of Olympic judoka Hiroshi Izumi simply proved too much on this particular night.

After a slow-paced start, Minowa started to work an effective jab, but Izumi scored side control from a scramble, and he didn’t relent position for the remainder of the round. Working eventually to mount and then a standing back-control position to finish the round, Izumi peppered Minowa with punches.

The pattern continued in the second round when Izumi gained control from a powerful slam. Minowa eventually created some space and tried to escape, but he staggered back and Izumi resumed the attack. Without even a hint of a submission game, Izumi continued to pound away with short punches whenever possible.

The end came in the final frame when Izumi again gained control on the mat and delivered nearly 100 unanswered punches. Most were grazing, blocked and not exactly destructive, but the sheer number of blows coupled with Minowa’s inability to even slightly improve his position left the referee no choice but to stop the fight at the 2:50 mark of the third round.

Izumi (4-1) now has won four consecutive fights since dropping his MMA debut in September 2009. Meanwhile, the legendary Minowa (47-32-8) falls to 1-2 in his past three fights and sees a two-year New Year’s Eve win streak snapped.

If nothing else,
Kazuhisa Watanabe sure was entertaining.

The professional striker had but one way to win in his MMA debut, and that was to deliver a home-run blow to the chin of opponent
Hideo Tokoro. It never happened, but give Watanabe credit for lasting until the third round against a massive favorite.

Watanabe came out with a mad rush to open the first round, but Tokoro quickly took the fight to the floor and nearly ended the fight early with a leg choke/armbar combination from the crucifix position. It didn’t work despite obvious discomfort on Watanabe’s face, and Tokoro began to look for other options.

Those options came hard and heavy for the remainder of the first and entirety of the second rounds. Yet armbars went unfinished, and rear-naked chokes lacked the connecting arm needed to finish.

Watanabe kept the entertainment factor high with a second-round flying axe kick that failed, as well as a handful of rear-headbutt attempts that went strangely unpunished. Watanabe even added a wrinkle to the standard slamming armbar escape in the fight’s final round by trying to throw Tokoro through the ropes. All the while, Watanabe kept a beaming smile on his face, though his luck finally ran out.

Two minutes into the final round, Tokoro finally isolated Watanabe’s left arm and stretched it out, forcing the tap at the 2:02 mark.

Kazuyuki Miyata got his suplex, but more importantly, he got an impressive win over longtime veteran Caol Uno.

In desperate need of his first win since May 2008, Uno looked sharp in the opening frame. Using a combination of straight punches and crisp low kicks, Uno kept Miyata at bay in the first five minutes, but things took a drastic turn in the second.

Miyata worked twice to the back of Uno after failed takedown attempts. The second instance resulted in the suplex the former Olympic freestyle wrestler had promised at the pre-event press conference, and he’d go back to the move again on two more occasions. But in addition to the tosses, Miyata bloodied Uno’s face in the second round, as well as buckling his legs with his own sharp low kicks.

In the third and final round, Uno showed his resiliency by fighting through the adversity. A desperation armbar attempt in the opening seconds missed, and an Uno haymaker did stagger Miyata briefly in the final minute, but there was not doubt as to the winner when the bell rang.

After a rocky start to his career, Miyata (11-7) has now won six straight fights. Uno (25-14-5) remains winless in his past five outings.

Katsuaki Furuki is no Jose Canseco.

In the evening’s opening bout, the former pro baseballer proved a more game opponent than many expected, though he came up short in a unanimous decision to
Andy Ologun.

Ologun looked sharp early on and dropped Furuki twice in quick succession during the opening frame. But with his nose bloodied from the straight punches, Furuki survived an arm-in guillotine choke attempt and actually transitioned to mount before delivering some ground and pound blows of his own.

The second round was even better for Furuki. The Japanese product secure a kimura attempt from the bottom that looked close to finishing the fight, and when that didn’t work, he scored a triangle choke attempt that appeared to trouble Ologun until the bell rang.

But in the third frame, Furuki appeared to run out of gas a bit and settle for the clinch. Ologun created room, dropped his opponent with another pinpoint striking combination, and delivered a few more blows from side control that likely sealed the result.

Ologun (3-1), in his first appearance since 2008, has now won two-straight fights, while Furuki falls short in his professional debut but likely earned himself another look with the gutsy display.

A planned “IGF special rules” fight between
Bob Sapp and Shinichi Suzukawa was scrapped just prior to the evening’s broadcast. HDNet broadcaster Michael Schiavello revealed Sapp was attempting to re-negotiate his contract backstage prior to the event and eventually elected to withdraw from the contest.

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